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Saturday, January 15, 2011

Forward Carter Ashton (7), in his debut with the Tri-City
Americans on Friday, hangs around Kamloops goaltender
Cam Lanigan in the hopes of finding a loose puck.
(Photo courtesy John Allen/Tri-City Americans)

Here is the beginning of an interview between Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and F Brayden Schenn, who joined the Saskatoon Blades in a trade from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Monday.
The SP: In Saskatoon, you might be more popular than Santa Claus right now. What’s the most interesting reaction you’ve had from a fan since joining the Blades this week?
Schenn: Well, I was in a public bathroom and a guy put his arm around me
while I was (at the urinal).
The SP: So, you’re feeling the love?
Schenn: Yes, I have felt the love coming from Saskatoon and it’s good to
have. I just can’t wait to start playing games.
The complete interview is right here.
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You may have heard that the first outdoor game in WHL history is to be played today in Spokane. John Blanchette of the Spokane Spokesman-Review takes a look at the spectacle right here.
However, as KREM-TV reports right here, there has been rain.
As of 11:30 p.m. PT on Friday, The Weather Network was calling for showers in the morning with cloudy skies and highs of plus-6 C in the afternoon.
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After a story appeared here Friday on Medicine Hat Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk, I was reminded that his WHL career actually started at a much younger age. He was actually in a photo taken by Dave Chidley of the Calgary Sun that won a National Newspaper Award in 1997. . . . The photo was taken on Oct. 15, 1997. Shinkaruk was two days past his third birthday at the time. . . . He was on the ice prior to a game as part of a Junior Fan promotion. . . . Check out that photo right here.
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Wondering how Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province is doing as he continues to crush the tumour with humour? Well, one of the two titanium rods that was surgically implanted in his back has snapped. . . . Check out Ewen’s blog right here.
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JUST NOTES: The CHL’s Top Prospects game is scheduled for Thursday, and perhaps someone out there is able to explain how it is that Edmonton Oil Kings F Michael St. Croix won’t be there. Then, again, maybe they can’t. I realize there’s more to this game than numbers but, sheesh, compare St. Croix’s stats to, say, those of Red Deer Rebels F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and get back to me. . . . Thanks to those who responded for a count of junior A trades made on Monday. In the AJHL, there were nine or 10 trades, while there were 13 in the MJHL and 11 in the BCHL, six of which involved the Prince George Spruce Kings. The SJHL has yet to post any trades made after Jan. 3. . . . The Central league’s Wichita Thunder has acquired F Dustin Donaghy, 21, from the Allen Americans for futures. Donaghy (Spokane, Lethbridge, 2007-10) had seven points and 43 penalty minutes in 23 games with Allen.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM FRIDAY’S WHL GAMES:In Moose Jaw, F Mark McNeill set up two goals to lead the Prince Albert Raiders to a 4-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Raiders have won five of six. . . . Prince Albert G Eric Williams stopped 29 shots. . . . The Warriors have lost three in a row and have scored only three goals in those losses. . . . The Warriors are scheduled to play in Prince Albert tonight. . . . F Cody Beach (head) and F Antonin Honejsek (charley horse) both sat out for Moose Jaw. . . .In Regina, the Edmonton Oil Kings completed a sweep of the season series with the Pats as they posted a 4-1 victory. . . . The outcome put a damper on the Pats’ celebrations — they honoured Mike Sillinger in a pregame ceremony. . . . The Oil Kings went 4-0 in the season series, outscoring the Pats 27-8 in the process. . . . The Pats scored the first goal last night, but the Oil Kings got the last four. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck ran his point streak to nine games with a goal and an assist. . . . Edmonton has won 14 of its last 21 games. . . . Edmonton G Jon Groenheyde stopped 19 shots. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt stopped 34 shots. In his previous start, Hewitt turned aside 59 shots in a 4-3 shootout victory over the visiting Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday. . . .In Swift Current, the Saskatoon Blades got out to a 3-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the Broncos, 5-2. . . . The Broncos cut the deficit to 3-2 with goals 1:04 apart early in the second period, but F Chris Collins, with his seventh, restored the two-goal edgee at 5:57 of the second and F Darius Dziurzynski, with his second of the game and 21st of the season, iced it at 8:37 of the third. . . . In Brandon, the Red Deer Rebels got two shootout goals and beat the Wheat Kings, 2-1. . . . The Rebels have won three straight. . . . F Colten Mayor, with his fifth of the season, gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 13:17 of the first period. . . . Brandon tied it 1-1 on F Jens Meilleur’s first WHL goal at 6:41 of the second. . . . Meilleur, a 17-year-old from Elie, Man., has three points in 15 games. . . . Red Deer got shootout goals from F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Daulton Siwak, while only F Mark Stone could counter for Brandon. . . . Brandon is 0-7 in shootouts this season. . . . G Michael Tadjdeh stopped 38 shots in his Brandon debut. Tadjdeh, 19, who has WHL experience with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Spokane Chiefs, had been with the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. The Wheat Kings have been going with a pair of 17-year-olds, however Corbin Boes suffered a concussion during an 8-4 loss to the Raiders in Prince Albert on Wednesday and Liam Liston, who was on the bench last night, has a hamstring problem. . . . Tadjdeh also picked up an assist on Meilleur’s goal. . . . F Byron Froese was back in Red Deer’s lineup after serving a two-game WHL suspension. . . .In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes scored a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen in a game that included a line brawl at 19:30 of the third period. . . . Ch-ch-ching! . . . The teams compiled 180 penalty minutes, 97 of them to the Hurricanes. . . . The Hurricanes, who scored the game’s first three goals, got two scores from F Cam Braes, who now has 20. . . . F Brody Sutter added two assists for the winners. . . . Calgary was 0-for-8 on the PP. . . . The teams meet for a third straight time Sunday afternoon in Calgary. . . .In Cranbrook, F Kevin King scored twice as the Kootenay Ice got past the Spokane Chiefs 6-2 in a game that included 136 minutes in penalties. . . . The teams are to meet again this afternoon in Spokane in the first outdoor game in WHL history. . . . King now has 20 goals this season. . . . He scored 2:33 apart early in the second period to give the Ice a 5-1 lead. . . . F Matt Fraser and F Max Reinhart each had a goal and two helpers for the Ice. . . . F Tyler Johnson scored his WHL-leading 32nd goal for the Chiefs. . . . F Cody Eakin (hand), who was acquired by the Ice from the Swift Current Broncos on Monday, didn’t play. . . . Attendance was 2,535. . . . The Ice was 3-for-5 on the PP. . . .In Prince George, F Taylor Stefishen scored twice to lead the Cougars to a 7-3 victory over the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . The Bruins had beaten the Cougars 5-2 in Chilliwack on Wednesday. . . . The teams will play in Prince George against tonight. . . . D Jesse Forsberg added a goal and two assists for the Cougars, who also got two assists from D Martin Marincin. . . . Stefishen hass 11 goals. . . . F Ryan Howse got his 28th goal for the Bruins. . . . The Cougars were 3-for-6 on the PP, while the Bruins went 0-for-5. . . . Bruins D Brandon Manning (leg), who hadn’t played since Dec. 31, was back in the lineup. . . .In Kelowna, the Rockets scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Portland Winterhawks, 5-3. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead in the first period as they outshot the host team, 19-9. . . . F Sven Bartschi scored his 24th goal and F Ryan Johansen had two assists for Portland. . . . G Geordie Wudrick scored twice for Kelowna, including an empty-netter. He has 24 swcores. . . . His first goal got the Rockets to within one and F Shane McColgan tied it with his 15th at 11:59 of the second. . . . F Zach Franko gave the Rockets a 4-3 lead at 18:10 of the second with his ninth. . . . Wudrick also had two assists, while D Tyson Barrie drew three helpers. Barrie now has 201 career points. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 43 shots. . . .In Kennewick, Wash., F Adam Hughesman scored two goals and set up two others as the Tri-City Americans beat the Kamloops Blazers, 7-3. . . . F Carter Ashton, playing his first game with the Americans after being acquired from the Regina Pats early in December, had a goal and an assist. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin, the third member of that line, had two assists. . . . Hughesman broke a 1-1 tie with his 25th and 26th goals 3:20 apart in the second half of the first period. . . . D Tyler Schmidt and D Brock Sutherland each had two assists for the Americans. . . .In Vancouver, F Spencer Bennett’s second goal of the game broke a 2-2 tie as the Giants beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The Giants have won five of six. . . . Bennett, who has 18 goals, scored the winner at 12:49 of the third period on the PP. . . . Bennett has 10 points, including six goals, in seven games since joining the Giants in a trade from the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem gave his side a 2-1 lead at 5:25 of the second period with his 24th goal. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Rowinski tied it at 14:16 with his ninth. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had three assists for the Giants. . . . Gallagher, Rowinski and Bennett are playing on a line together. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal made 30 saves. . . . According to Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun, Giants D Joel Rogers left in the first period after taking “a bump to the head.” Rogers won’t play tonight in Kennewick, Wash., against the Tri-City Americans or Sunday in Kent, Wash., against the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .In Kent, Wash., G Calvin Pickard stopped 35 shots to lead the host Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Thunderbirds scored the game’s first three goals, with F Brendan Rouse and F Marcel Noebels scoring the first period and F Chance Lund counting in the second. . . . F Landon Ferraro got Everett’s goal, his ninth, at 3:53 of the third.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One minor:
Swift Current D Richard Nedomlel